


Blossom

by VoidGhost



Series: Widofjord Week 2k19 [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Minor Beauregard/Jester Lavorre, Nightmares, POV Beau, they just talk about how they're stupidly in love, this series does not pass the gay bechdel test
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidGhost/pseuds/VoidGhost
Summary: “‘Kay, listen. We might die tomorrow, we might die next week. So let’s make a deal. I’ll tell Jester about my major crush on her if you tell Fjord about your feelings and shit. Yeah?”





	Blossom

**Author's Note:**

> ik this series has been a lot of talking but things will pick up tomorrow~
> 
> hope yall enjoy the empire kids <333

Beau didn’t often have trouble sleeping. Usually, her nights were dreamless and she woke up early and ready for the day. Rarely did she wake up in the middle of the night, her back sticky from the nightmare that lingered just behind her eyelids. 

In the other bed, Jester slept soundly. She had a light snore that Beau had become accustomed to, and even missed when she wasn’t there. 

Beau slung her legs over the side of the bed and shivered as the blankets fell away. With the constant darkness, the house often got cold. Usually, Caduceus’ cooking would warm it up, but when they’re all asleep, the cold sinks in like ice. Beau stood and carefully made her way to the door, casting another look at Jester to make sure she went undisturbed before slipping out the door. 

Usually, when she couldn’t go back to sleep after a rough dream, Beau would join whoever was on watch that night. But since they’ve been living in the house, she thought maybe some fresh air under the single glowing tree in Rosohna would be enough. Maybe she could get some training in before the morning. 

It was just sad she couldn’t watch the sun rise. 

As she climbed the stairs - carefully making her way past Caduceus’ room - she let the light hanging off the tree warm her face. It felt better, more like home, to have a bright tree to sit by and clear her head. Already, she felt the goosebumps that rose on her skin since she woke up start to fade. 

It wasn’t until she was beneath the tree that she realized there was someone else up there with her. 

Caleb had made a chair from some loose barrels and a desk from the stones forming the edge of the tower. He had a book propped on the stone and his hair pulled back into a messy tail. Even from this distance, Beau could see the bags under his eyes. 

She wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.

Without asking permission, she pulled up another overturned barrel and sat beside him, propping her chin on her elbow as she looked over his shoulder. It wasn’t smutty, to her disappointment, but it was some kind of romance, probably borrowed from Jester.

“ _ Hallo _ , Beauregard,” Caleb said, continuing to read. 

“Hey.” With nothing better to do, she brought out her journal and reviewed the latest Abyssal scheme that seemed to be gripping the Dynasty by its dunemantic balls. Their newest report gave them a lead about what kinds of people were involved - people from the Empire. 

She glanced to Caleb. Maybe that’s what kept him up tonight. 

“Nightmares?” She suggested to fill the silence. 

Caleb sighed. He bookmarked his page and folded it in his lap. It didn’t appear he made much progress anyway. “You could say that.” 

Beau hesitated for a too-long awkward second before speaking again. “Wanna…talk about it?” 

Caleb huffed a bitter laugh and she wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “It’s complicated.” 

“Right.” 

She let him have his silence. She knew it was best to let him think. In the meantime, she kept going over her notes.

They had been going mission after mission to find out exactly what this plot against the Dynasty is. All evidence points to the Empire, which was a big suspect anyway. The bad part is that their little group hasn’t exactly been quiet about this, especially since coming to the Dynasty. Maybe behind the borders they’re safe, but it’s only a matter of time before Ikithon hunts them down. If not for Caleb, then for their little group throwing a wrench in their plans. 

Beau knew this fact was killing Caleb. She suspected he had come to terms with the fact that Ikithon will eventually find him, but she knew better than most that he hated roping the rest of them into it. 

It’s too late to back out now, if any of them had second thoughts. But she doubted anyone did. If Beau was certain about one thing, it was that the Mighty Nein were all in it for each other. 

“I think,” Caleb began, talking slow. “That I’ve been seeing into Fjord’s nightmares.” 

Beau snapped her head up from her notes. Caleb was looking out into the dark, hands clenched around the book, and Beau heard the tired truth in his words. 

“How do you know?” 

Caleb ran a hand over his eyes. “It’s not complete. I miss bits and pieces. But I always feel the cold sea and I can never breathe. Or of a yellow eye staring me down.” He pressed a hand to his chest absently. 

“Huh.” Beau was not well versed in the lore behind Fjord’s patron, but this didn’t sound right. There was something missing. “Any reason why you’re suddenly involved?”

“I don’t…” Caleb trailed off and his thumb absently ran over his palm. He sighed. “I have an idea.” 

Beau waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t, she rolled her hands to motion for it. It got her a half-smile. 

“I, um.” He cast her a glance, one that was cautious because he worried about what she might say. 

No, that’s not right. He’s worried she might tease him. She slowly grinned and Caleb scowled. 

“Stop it,” He warned. 

“Fine. Tell me.” She scooched closer until their knees bumped. He sighed. 

Caleb watched her another long moment before crumbling. With an interesting shade of red on his face, he confessed, “I think I’ve fallen in love with him.” 

_ Well _ . Not what she expected. She opened her mouth, dumbly, before finally asking, “Fjord?” 

The look Caleb shot her was a mix of irritation and embarrassment. He didn’t need to confirm her question. 

“Huh.” She propped her feet up beneath her into a weird perch and set her journal on the edge of the tower. “So. You have a thing for green?”

The smack on the arm was well worth seeing the look of betrayal on Caleb’s face, even though the book will probably leave a bruise. She was nearly knocked off her perch when she held her hands up in surrender. 

“Okay! Okay, I’ll stop!” She laughed, defending herself from any incoming attacks. 

Caleb set the book back in his lap, but the glare on his face was permanently fixed. Oh well. 

“I don’t know why I told you,” Caleb griped, and turned away from her, as if ending the conversation. 

“Caleb, no--” Beau put a hand on his shoulder. “--I’m sorry, okay, let’s talk about it.” 

When he turned back, the worry lines around his eyes had smoothed out into amusement, and Beau shoved him away again. 

“You dick.” She watched Caleb resettle himself on the barrel, the romance novel fully displaying a half-orc and human embrace on the cover.  _ Definitely smutty _ . “Seriously, you think that’s why you’re seeing his dreams? Like Uk’otoa might be using you?”

“I don’t know.” Caleb hands clasped together and she felt she was missing part of the conversation again. “I’m not even sure he knows I’m seeing them.” 

“Weird.” She wasn’t ever well versed in magic, or even understood Fjord’s ‘wet dreams’ and the extent of his patron’s powers. “So, tonight, Fjord had a dream?”

“I think so. I thought I might run into him instead.” He cast a sidelong glance to Beau. “Wasn’t expecting you.” 

Beau shrugged. “Yeah, well. I get nightmares, too.” 

Caleb raised an eyebrow, a silent nod to explain. Beau sighed. 

“It was just…” Beau trailed off and played with the hem of her sleep shirt. “I keep dreaming about those guys finally catching up to us. And we’re so unprepared that we keep dropping like flies.” She sighed, tipping her head back to look up between the branches of their tree. “I keep dreaming Dairon is apart of it.” 

She wasn’t expecting the awkward hand slowly taking hers in an attempt at comfort. She huffed a laugh but gripped back tight. 

“How ‘bout you?” She tilted her head to glance at him. “How do you feel about this whole thing?”

“Not good.” Obviously. The evidence is staring right at her. “We might very well die tomorrow. Or any day. At any moment.” 

_ Downer _ , she thought but didn’t say. “Listen. If you think that we might die at any possible moment, why don’t you tell him? What the hell, right?” 

“I don’t wish to tell him for that very reason,” Caleb said, and he had gone back to staring out into the dark. “Why would I want to face rejection and death on the same day?” 

She let out a frustrated huff. “You don’t know that.” 

“I can guess.” 

Beau could go on about how she doesn’t think that’s true (as if she was blind to the googly eyes they give each other whenever they’re all the same damn room) but she had a feeling it would fall on deaf ears. Then she had an idea. 

“‘Kay, listen.” She sat crossed legged on barrel, taking Caleb’s hand between hers. “We might die tomorrow, we might die next week. So let’s make a deal.” By the cock of Caleb’s head, he was listening. She continued, “I’ll tell Jester about my major crush on her if you tell Fjord about your feelings and shit. Yeah?” 

Caleb blinked, and she doesn’t know if he never picked up on that particular fact about herself, but he skipped the questions and sighed. “Beauregard--” 

“If we’re doing confessions and shit, then we’ll do it together,” Beau insisted. “You’re my brother, Caleb. We’ll both die rejected, or die happy, if it turns out well for us. And I’m not changing my mind.” 

Caleb didn’t try to pull away, but he didn’t say anything, either. Beau’s palms began to feel sweaty by the time his hand finally gripped back and they shook on it. 

“I am glad to have you, Beauregard,” Caleb said, quietly as they pulled apart. 

“The feeling’s mutual.” Beau stood up then, stretching her arms above her head until she heard her spine pop. She tucked her journal away and cocked her head towards the stairs. “I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll get back to sleep.” 

Caleb waved her off. “I’ll go down in a minute.” He picked his book back up from his lap and found the bookmarked page. 

Beau rolled her eyes but left, casting one look behind her as she made her way back down the stairs. 

He better hold up his end of the deal. 


End file.
